HUSH! Silence is Survival

HUSH! is a gritty and dark horror LARP in English. It is inspired by the movie A Quiet Place (2018).

The game is set in the remote wilds of Minnesota’s state forest on Settler’s Day 1861, or 1861 DAI (Days After Impact). It has been five long years since the meteorite bearing the alien monsters, named Settler‘s, struck Mexico killing thousands of people.

This is a game about the everyday struggle to survive a terrifying predator, while simultaneously doing everything you can to hold on to what makes you human. What would your choices be?

The player characters are a small group of Steaders, people who have banded together to survive as a community – and do it silently.

Every player character belongs to at least two groups; you have a function in the community and belong to a (family) unit, each with secrets and agendas.

There will be a lot of tension; mainly created and driven forward by the player characters, function groups and the units, and also from the Settlers that lurk in the surrounding forest.

Most of this LARP will be played out in silence with safe (but short) time periods where you can talk and do things that make noise. We will address silent communication and other issues after sign up opens.

Movie trailer for HUSH!

Trigger Warning
Interpersonal Conflict, Suicide, Death,
Silence, Darkness, Fear, Monsters,
Loss of Children, Hunger, Survival

What to expect when you are knee-deep into the apocalyse!

What follows is important information. We hope you will read it all before signing up for our LARP so that you know what you can expect from us, and what we will be expecting from you in return.

What is this?
LARP (live action roleplay) or LAIV in Norwegian is an interactive theater experience where participants are both audience and performer working together with others to create a story. No script or rehearsed lines, mainly improvisation. You could call it «cops and robbers» for grownups. This game is a Nordic LARP style game.

International larp
This larp is international as it is open to anyone from around the world. Everything is in English –  and don’t worry, your English is fine enough. In our casting process we will give some priority for non-Norwegian participants.

We have cut costs to keep the ticket prices as low as possible to make it more accessible for Nordic and international players. This does not affect the love and time we spend making this larp great! It only means we won’t have the production value usually associated with international larps. We don’t have a castle or a fallout shelter but we have an excellent venue, Landsbyen, to give us the right mood and will go out of our way to pimp up the venue to give it the right post-apocalyptic feel according to our budget.

Playstyle and atmosphere
The setting for this game is a small community struggling to survive in an increasingly hostile environment. On the outside it is a post-apocalyptic horror game of survive or die, but on the inside bubbling undercurrents of social intrigue and conflict threaten to explode. Of course, explosions in this current environment would be a Very Bad Thing Indeed.

All player characters will be created by the organisers to ensure that they fit together in a cohesive manner and add to the plot. We aim to make each character larger than life, unique and memorable in order for everybody to feel like the main character in their own plots/story.

We aim for diversity in all our games.

A Quiet Place
We have taken inspiration from the movie A Quiet Place for this game. It is not a prerequisite to see the movie to participate but we encourage you to watch it – it’s a good movie! However, the correct setting info for this game is presented here on our website under Setting Information.You won’t be able to use things from the movie to solve issues on this LARP.

Shows like The Walking Dead (2010-) and Fear the Walking Dead (2015), books/movies like The Road (2009) and most post-apocalyptic stories will help set the right mood, as we aim for a traumatic drama style.

Silence
Most of this game will be played out in silence. This means no talking or shouting and no sudden movements. Don’t worry, we won’t ask you to sand paths around the play area or go barefoot in Norway in September.

Absolute silence isn’t possible. It’s more about which sounds are dangerous and how to live as quietly as possible. For example you can use louder sounds to distract from quieter ones. Snoring at night (IRL) or using the water tap will not attract the alien monsters. Neither will using CUT and BREAK. More information in the Game Rules.

There will be safe time periods where you can talk and do things that make noise, but the appearance and duration of these ‘safe times’ are unpredictable. Safe times will be signaled by lights flashing, a sort of in-setting alarm provided by the previous resident. We encourage you to not wait for those small moments to play though. Silence has become your normal way of life after all.

We urge you to respect and be part of this premise. Every character has lived with this hanging over their heads for the last 5 years. You have all lost someone close to you because of noise. You have adapted to it but mistakes still happen.

You can communicate in writing during the game but we will also make use of sign language. We will workshop this on the Thursday before Time-In. You don’t need any previous knowledge or experience with sign language but if you do, great! More information about this will come soon.

Player characters
You will be immersed in character from start to finish. You sleep in character, you eat in character, you breathe in character, and you have to stay silent for most of it.

Most of the player characters will have a function in the community and also be part of a (family) unit. This means your character is part of at least two groups of people with work assignments, secrets and agendas.

You are voted into the community and given a function based on your pre-knowledge and experience, but the needs of the community also defines who you are in the apocalypse. Most player characters have assigned functions and units from the beginning of the game. More on function and units in the Setting Information.

When our casting process is finished and you have your concepts, we expect you to be part of discussions and influence what your daily life in the apocalypse looks like. This will usually be connected to your function group.

We want and expect you to make hard choices during this game. For example is surviving worth losing your humanity?

What or who are you willing to sacrifice yourself for?
What or who are you willing to sacrifice to save yourself?

Settlers (alien monsters) and instructed players
In this game we are using what we in Norwegian calls SIS.

We have the Settlers roaming around in the woods nearby, hunting anything that makes sound. As Settlers you will be part of a tight-knit group in a separate camp and will have fun scaring player characters, picking them off one by one. We will provide alien costumes and props for you. If you sign up as a Settler you may attend the larp free of charge. Limited places only.

We will also have different types of instructed players. As an instructed player you will for example have more than one character from the beginning of the game, knowing your 1st character will die early on, or be instructed to activate certain props when needed. As an instructed player you will have a full larp experience and pay the full ticket price.

Combat
Each player character will have a combat number depicting how good you are in a fight with other people. Weapons can give bonuses, except for guns. More about combat and weapons in the Game Rules. No weapons work against the Settlers.

Since silence is the surest way to survive, fists or “silent weapons” like knives or blunt objects are preferred, but remember that all of this will attract the Settlers, so settling disputes in a more quiet manner, or wait for ‘safe time’ is better.

Character deaths
If you get into trouble with people, you will always decide yourself if your character dies or not. More about combat in the Game Rules.  

Player characters will die during this game. We have taken that into account, creating more characters than there are players. Players of characters who die during the game (not pre-planned like the instructed players) will come back as either a new character or as Settlers, depending on when your death occurred during the game.

Settlers have exceptional good hearing, so even your breath or heartbeat can reveal where you are, if they are close by. Rumors state that they can’t be killed but that doesn’t mean you can’t try.

Your new characters will be equally unique and just as important as all the starting characters. These characters will add more information to the world, be long lost friends or foes of the original characters. You want them to arrive!

Costumes and equipment
This should be an easy game to prep for but we still expect you to make an effort. It’s been 5 years since Impact and you have been on the road for most of it. Some wear and tear is normal, mending a necessity. You have probably raided any shops you have come across, or bartered with Walkers for anything useful.

Choose something that is practical in-game for your character’s function in the community, but always prioritize keeping dry and warm in Norwegian fall weather. Try to show some of your characters personality through your costumes though. Go crazy!

We urge everyone to bring some extra clothing (a distinct change of sweater or jacket perhaps) to signify you are a new character if your character dies.

When it comes to your character’s equipment you should think survival. We will post a general what-to-pack suggestion for larping outside in Trøndelag in September later, but we also want your character to have personal items with them.

Your character should have a bag or backpack containing your most important and valuable stuff. What can’t your character live without? A faded photo of your family? Your missing brothers teddy bear?

One of your most valuable possession should be something to write with and on! Are you using Post-It notes? An etchy sketch? A small whiteboard? Go crazy with this!

A knife (padded for weapon use and normal knife for everything else) is very useful, so is a torch/flashlight or lamp and a water bottle. Please be mindful of the silence rule though. Anything that makes noise needs to be padded or replaced. A metal knife or spoon will make sound hitting your metal plate as you eat, a glass will shatter as it falls etc. Go for plastic or wood and eat slowly and as quietly as possible.  

Off-game zone
We urge you to stay in character 24/7 and be as little out-of-game as possible. We understand that it can be straining, especially the Silence bit. If you need to take a break from it all, we will provide a safe space that you can be yourself again without disturbing the game for others. We will provide some snacks and hugs, and have a chat, if necessary.

As your organisers, Riveting LARP promises
….to answer all your questions as quickly as we can, to send you the information that you need in a timely manner, and to do everything that we can to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable experience with us. We expect that you read the materials we provide to you, and ask us if you do not fully understand them. We don’t bite and love to have contact with our players!

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

This larp will run Thursday 29th of August – Sunday 1st of September 2019.
We expect you to arrive on Thursday and stay through to Sunday. We want you to be in-character 24/7, but please be respectful towards players who want or need to sleep during the night.

Check in will start at 18.00 on Thursday. Briefings and workshops will run from 20.00 until 23.00.

The game will start early Friday morning when you wake up and end sometime Saturday evening followed by a short debrief. There will be an afterparty straight after. This is where we party, tell of glorious moments and relax together!

Sunday will be packing and departure. All participants must clean up after themselves and their camp. You should also assist the organisers with whatever they need. Nobody should leave Landsbyen before the organisers say so. If you have to leave earlier because of long travel or flights, please make arrangements with the organisers, we are not unreasonable! Check out is Sunday from kl. 12.00. Landsbyen closes at kl. 16.00.

Important dates in 2019
February 3rd: Sign up opens.
March 1st: Sign up ends. A confirmation email will follow shortly.
March 18th: Casting email with confirmation of either a place or a spot on the waiting list.
April 1st: 1st payment due. Email with concepts will follow shortly.
May 1st: 2nd payment due. Email with complete characters will follow shortly.
July 1st: After this date there will be no refunds if you sign off.

We are looking into having two player meetings in Trondheim, one in June, before the holidays, and one in August. We are also planning a skype meeting for those who can’t attend in person. More information later.

Language
This is an English LARP. We want it to be accessible to international players so you will all be expected to spend the whole play time speaking English. The setting is Minnesota, with characters from all over USA, but we do not demand that you use American dialects and accents. All character sheets and communication before and during the LARP will also be in English. Please do ask if there’s anything unclear or that you don’t fully understand.

Participants
This LARP will have 20-40 participants (20-30 player characters, instructed or not) and approximately 10 Settlers (alien monsters).

Lowest age limit is 18 (born in 2001). Players who will not yet be 18 at the time of the event will need permission from a parent/guardian.

Sign up
This LARP is not “first come, first served”. We will do a casting and make our selections based on gender and group dynamics with some preference given to new players, and both Nordic and international.

You can sign up for three types of tickets; these are described under What to Expect.
– Player characters, pay full ticket
– Instructed players, pay full ticket
– Settlers (alien monsters), free ticket. Limited places.

You cross off which ticket you desire during sign up. You can choose more than one, but if you have a preference please state it in the comments box.

If there are any particular characters or traits that you do NOT want to play, please do tell us at sign up! We will go out of our way to accommodate your preferences and want you to end up with a character that you love and are excited to play. If you still end up with a character that you don’t like and don’t want to play, please do communicate this to us as soon as possible so that we can work together to resolve the problem! We hope that a received character will not be a reason to sign off from HUSH!

Tickets
Player character ticket price is 800 NOK (in two payments), of which 400 is a non-refundable deposit. Tickets include one hot meal each day.

After the sign up deadline on March 1st we will do a casting. You will be asked to pay at least 400 NOK before April 1st to secure your spot. You will then receive your character concept.

The remaining 400 NOK can be paid later, but the full ticket price must be paid by May 1st. Shortly after this date we will release the finished characters.

July 1st is the last day to get the refundable part of the fee back if you need to cancel your participation after paying the full price.

Sponsorship
We want the larp to be open to as many people as possible and we want to help expand Landsbyen as a larp venue. Because of this, we are running a sponsorship program.

If you wish, you can be a sponsor.
This means that you pay more than the listed price for your spot. In that case you will automatically be a sponsor for someone with more strained economy . You will not get anything extra for doing this, except good karma and nice, warm fuzzy feelings. If you want to be a sponsor, please specify how much in your signup form.

Apply for a sponsorship?
This means that someone has paid more than the listed price for this larp as a nice gesture towards people with a more strained economy. You can apply for this in the signup. The discount you get will depend on the numbers of sponsors and money available.

Any surplus money from tickets and sponsors will go to Organisasjonen Landsbyen for the further development of the LARP village. Settler tickets are free but you can still choose to sponsor.

Sign offs
When you sign up to a larp you are making an agreement to collaborate with others to create a shared experience.

We understand that life happens and that you may be forced to cancel, possibly even at the last minute, and that is okay. However, we ask you to respect the effort that organisers put in to creating larps for you and sign up because you know you can attend. Can you afford it? Can you get the time off from work/obligations? Are you willing to travel to Trondheim? We would be grateful if you consider these questions BEFORE you sign up.

Venue
The venue for this game is Landsbyen in Holtålen, Norway. Nearest big city is Trondheim.

This is an outdoor larp and most of the play will be outside, regardless of weather! This is Trøndelag, so plan for all four seasons in one day. Always prepare for wet and cold weather with layers of clothing, solid boots and spare socks! We will post a suggested packing list closer to the larp.

Landsbyen is a typical Norwegian low comfort level cabin area, no indoor plumbing, no showers, heated only by firepits (lavvos) and a fireplace in Viknahuset. No indoor kitchen available for participants but several outdoor firepits can be used for cooking.

Water from the outdoor tap is from a nearby creek and is safe, there is also the option to collect water from the lake but be sure to boil it before drinking.

Sleeping arrangements
We can offer 32 sleeping places (10 in Viknahuset, 16 in lavvo tents and 6 in small huts). You will need to bring all of your own sleeping equipment. Make sure your sleeping bag is suitable for cold weather and remember that you can never have too many blankets and wool! Be sure to check out our packing list for suggestions.

All baggage or equipment considered out of game should be covered up and marked as out of game. Participants may bring their own tents. If you bring your own tent then you may decide if it is in-game or not. You can register this during sign up.

Toilets
Landsbyen has a free fall outhouse with two stalls. We will provide toilet paper, wet wipes, and hand sanitizer. There is also a very specific tree stump that is designated as a pee spot for those who prefer to do their business standing.

Food
Food scavenging is a big part of this game. It’s about survival after all. This is the main assignment for the Trapper function group. Organisers will hide food posters in the woods around the play area, for you to find. Gather them (and pick up any other findings) to exchange them for basic food products from the organisers.

We will serve a hot meal on Thursday, Friday and Saturday based on what you have found. We will have a vegetarian option but are unfortunately not able to cater to all special dietary needs. If you have a serious food allergy which may result in requiring medical attention, we want you to register this during sign up.

You will need to bring your own food for other meals. Meal times are communal and we urge that you follow the scheduled times set up by the function group Doers, to organise as they see fit. These times will be announced before the larp so you can plan ahead. If you need to snack between these meal times, that is totally fine! If units or function groups want to make food together, that is also great! Outdoor fires will be available throughout the play area which can be used to prepare food on. You need to bring your own equipment for preparing, eating, drinking and cleaning up afterwards. Coffee and tea will be available.

Transport and access
Landsbyen can be reached by car or by public transport. Unfortunately, we do not have resources to arrange collective transport planned by the organisers.

Accessibility –  Landsbyen is unfortunately not a wheelchair friendly location and we will not be able to make the area accessible enough for wheelchair users.

Participants are responsible for bringing their own stuff from the parking lot to the play area, which is a 400m walk up a country path. You will not be able to drive your car up this path! Organisers can help out as long as the ATV (quad bike) is available, and any players with medical needs should let us know beforehand so help can be arranged.

There is a toll fee of 50 NOK per car on the road up to Landsbyen. This can be paid by cash or VIPPS.

Drivers volunteering to help with pick-ups from the train station and nearest bus stop are much appreciated!

By car
To reach Landsbyen by car from Trondheim, take the E6 towards Melhus and Støren. Once you reach Støren, take off to Rv30 towards Støren and Røros. Then immediately turn right and use Fv30. Keep going for 50 km until you see a sign saying “Gåre”. Then take right over the bridge, stop to pay the toll and follow the dirt road until you see LARPers.

Coordinates to Landsbyen from Trondheim

There is a small parking space by Landsbyen. It is also possible to park by the road. Please make sure not to block any cars and take care to not block the road, we don’t want to upset the locals! Drivers are encouraged to fill their car to the brim with participants and stuff!

By public transport
Landsbyen can be reached by bus or by train from Trondheim (there is also a train connection from Oslo on Røros).

Bus 340 Trondheim – Støren – Røros. The bus stop is called “Gåre/Gåregrenda”.
We will link the updated bus schedule when it’s available from AtB after the summer holiday.

Train to Røros. The train station is called “Haltdalen”.
We will link the updated train schedule when it’s available from NSB.

We advise against walking up to Landsbyen from these stops. If you drive and are willing to volunteer to pick people up, please do let us know! You will be showered with appreciation and praise!

NPCs (SIS in Norwegian)
Yes, this game will have scary alien monsters roaming the play area! These players will be assigned to a camping spot away from main game. Organisers will arrange a camp and food for them. More information about this in What to Expect.

Costumes
This is set in a contemporary time period, so all fabrics are allowed! The bar is not set high, but we want to see different functions, status, and/or personalities in your costumes. Remember that the world ended five years ago so your access to new clothing has been severely limited and run with the theme! See more information in the What to Expect.

Alcohol, drugs and smoking
Alcohol is allowed but very limited in this setting. We urge that you make use of fake-booze if you intend to be drinking in character. Anyone found to be intoxicated during the larp will be firmly put to bed and, in worst case scenarios removed from the play area.

Smoking is allowed, but not inside buildings or tents. Please be respectful of other participants and all cigarette butts must go in the fires or bins, not in the forest!

You may bring your own alcohol to enjoy at the afterparty which will follow Time-Out. We follow Norwegian law, so underaged (18) serving/drinking and all drug abuse is forbidden.

SETTING INFORMATION

September 2020. After the devastation of the initial meteorite crash in Mexico, chaos erupted in the surrounding cities, snowballing rapidly until Mexico and the United States were suffering an epidemic of missing persons.

The connection between the meteorite and disappearances was not immediately apparent until the sightings. A swathe of monstrous aliens were clawing their way across the United States, killing everything that made sound.

The US Government and the military tried their very best to help people and attack the Settlers. Several stadium aid shelters were established and people flocked together for safety. It didn’t take long before the realisation that the shelters were death traps. Large groups of people make a lot of noise.

Soon the panic spread and massive groups of people began fleeing north. Washington fell while her leaders ran and hid. Hope was abandoned.

People are hunted and slaughtered, leaving the land desolate, bloodied and silent.

The Settlers
The alien monsters were given the name Settlers once it became clear that they were here to stay. Are they intelligent? Was the meteorite really an alien spaceship? What do they want? Not much is known except they hunt by sound, are impregnable and they seemingly don’t eat their kill.

Hill community
Hill community is a somewhat functioning group of people made up of Steaders who want to settle into a semblance of normal life. It is located somewhere in the Minnesota State Forest.

Hill community consists primarily of two families; The Argents and the Millers and every community member is affiliated with one of those two units. People who are not voted in as community members yet, are usually called Outliers.

Functions
Who you are are not as important as what you are in the apocalypse! How can you best serve a purpose in this new world?

Trappers are hunters, gatherers, and raiders, people who travel away from shelter, but close to the community to make sure you are stocked up on food, medicine and other necessary things.

Doers are mechanics, builders, cooks and managers. They are the work force, organising the community life.

Keepers are people invested in law, religion and knowledge.  

Warders’ main job is making sure the community is secure. They handle the weapons, keep watch, investigate and interrogate new arrivals.

Nightingales are the medics and therapists of the new world.

The Maven is the leader of a steader community. Usually elected but more un-democratic ways are not unheard of.

Walkers are respected travelling messengers and traders, going between the different communities. They might belong to a community they call home but are usually nomadic types travelling alone.

Drifters are small communities of people with no fixed habitation, moving around.

Rovers are famed for looting, preying on the weak and are generally up to no good.

Exiles are people who for some reason have been cast out of their group.

Screamers are the «suicide bombers» of the apocalypse. They will use their own voice to take out as many as possible with them.

Everyday life in the Hill community
Every day is run by a schedule put together by the Doers. This time of year preparing for winter is imperative, scouting for Rovers is necessary, Settlers always a threat but life goes on.

Hill community needs to have an election! Each Steader must cast their vote to confirm new community members, function groups and community leaders. This is an excellent opportunity for those unhappy with their current situation.

There is also going to be a wedding. Love grows even in the apocalypse! Everybody is expected to participate in the preparations and celebration of the community event, and you all should bring a gift.

More information about the setting will come soon!

GAME RULES FOR HUSH!

These all the rules and mechanisms for HUSH! It was originally written by our co-organiser in A Mighty Fine Hat, Ole Ingvar Stene, for our Windfall Firefly LARP fall 2018. We have edited it to suit HUSH!

This is required reading for everyone – the safety rules are something that everyone should know by heart, and even if you plan to not fight or shoot, you should read the rules both to know the safety guidelines and how to react if someone tries to fight you.

These rules exist to ensure the fun and safety of everyone. Please follow the intention of the rules, not the letter. Do not look for loopholes to ‘win’. If you break the rules, there will be consequences.

Safety and security

Most of the time people look out for each other and play nice, and things are fine, so don’t worry! But sometimes things don’t go the way we would like them to, and that is when we need these simple keywords. Learn them, use them – there is never any shame in ensuring your comfort and safety.

Time-In and Time-Out

The larp starts and ends with these commandos by the organisers.

Cut, Brake and Green

CUT is to be used if something happens that disrupts the game. If a scene is too much for you, if someone gets injured for real, if a dangerous situation is about to unfold and people are unaware (for instance, someone starts backing away from in-game danger, without seeing that they are about to step backwards off a cliff) you should loudly and clearly say CUT! This means that all play stops, immediately. Check in on each other, fix whatever is wrong, and then let play resume once everyone are ready.

BRAKE can be used as a ‘softer’ version of cut. If someone is playing too hard, using too much speed or force when fighting, yelling too loud, but you do not want to stop play, just calm things down – then you can say BRAKE. Everyone stay in character, but ease down and take it slower.

GREEN is simply a way to let others know that you are okay, that you can take it. It can also be used as a question, to ask others if whatever you do to them is okay.

You can always do a time-out sign with your hands (form a T) to show that you want to say something out of game, such as: “I can’t wrestle, I have a bad knee, hit me instead” or “I need to use the bathroom, can you kill me when I get back instead?” Keep it subtle, but do it if you need it.

Always give people the chance to react – if you attack someone from behind and throw them to the ground, they cannot cut or tell you about their back injury up front. Don’t do that. Escalate slowly and communicate with your fellow players before attempting anything.

Death and injuries

Nothing in the combat rules dictates how much you get injured, or if you die in combat with people. This is up to you, as a player. If you get shot or injured, you can choose to die – in that case we suggest that you make your death dramatic, and perhaps quiet – or you will attract the Settlers (aliens).

As a player character you are NEVER ALLOWED to force someone into a situation where you take this choice away from them!

If you are injured but decide to survive, your injuries will be as serious as you feel like playing them. Keep in mind that there is limited medical aid in the apocalypse.

If you choose to take out any other characters by screaming or make noise, please tell that player beforehand and move away from the rest, so you don’t take out all the players. Because we are expecting character deaths on HUSH! we are making more characters than players, but there is a limit to how many.

If your character dies, you will either come back as a new character or a Settler, depending on when you die in the game. We will be standing ready with crisp new characters that will expand the world, give new interesting or unsettling info to further evolve plots.

Death by Settlers

If you are caught by a Settler, which means it hears you, you die by their touch. There is no running away, defending yourself or fight back. If the Settlers are far away and come after you have made a sound, you can try to stay as quiet as possible when it appears. They can’t see you or smell you, but they have exceptionally good hearing, so even the slightest movement can reveal where you are.

The Settler players are invested in giving you the best larp experience possible and are not there to ruin your larp. They have been carefully selected and have been briefed properly beforehand, so respect your death and don’t argue with them. The Settlers are however NOT excluded from the safety rules. For example, if you shout CUT! they must abide and stop play, but if you were already noticed by them you will still die when the situation is resolved.

If you choose to kill off your own character by screaming or making noise, we urge you to create play around it. Leave a suicide note revealing something your character has found out before going into the woods. Notify the organisers if you can.

If your character dies by the claw of Settlers, the same procedure will be followed as described earlier.  

Sex

We have a system that ensures safe and considerate play while enforcing the need for clear consent. It is a technique known as “Ars Amandi”.

The technique is widely known, easy to play, and surprisingly intimate. The way it works is that one will touch and/or stroke arms and hands (and nothing else) in different ways to simulate sexual interactions. Eye contact can be added to increase intimacy.

Please remember that Silence is a virtue in this setting, and sex will make noise although this technique will not. So be timely (safe times) with your sexual encounters!

The most important rule of all sexual interactions is that all parties feel secure and are actively consenting. Trying in any way to force, coerce, or otherwise pressure someone else into playing out or escalating a sexual encounter is never acceptable!

Any and all play on sexual violence is prohibited under all circumstances!

Off-game physical and mental safety

If you need a break from the game, you can use the off-game zone. Once there, we can sit with you and chat, give you a hug, drink, snack, fetch a friend, or just leave you alone. Let us know, we are there for you.

Combat rules

In the apocalypse violence is a currency but Silence is also the most important survival skill, so watch out for those flashing lights! Any fighting outside of the safe times will attract the Settlers.

Close combat
We want it to be possible for anyone to play a badass, so for close combat each character will be assigned a number. To determine a winner in a fist fight both parties compare numbers and the higher number wins the fight. If more people gang up, they can add their numbers together. The fight is then acted out. Thumb rule; make it short, sweet and spectacular!

You are under NO CIRCUMSTANCE allowed to use your own strength, weight, or martial arts skills in a conflict against another player!

Close combat weapons will add a bonus. Only padded weapons (boffer weapons designed for larp fighting) are allowed in combat. All close combat weapons must be checked in and approved by the organisers before or during the briefing.

Firefights
Guns are deadly, limited and noisy. All guns and ammunition are Hill Community property and will be locked up together in a safe place guarded by the Warders. You need to check them out in-game. Mark your gun so you know which one is yours after the game.

We want to be very clear that due to the very nature of this setting, HUSH! will not be a gun-heavy larp. We will specify in your character concept if your character might have a gun (might have, not must have!). It will also say if you can have a hidden gun (that the community doesn’t know about).

All firearms must look convincing, make a convincing sound, and be unable to actually fire a projectile. We accept only starter guns at this game. Please contact us if you are unsure if your weapon will fit our guidelines.

There will be no number system for firefights. This will be played out through roleplay and acting. Someone points a gun at you and pull the trigger, if the gun goes bang!, the one who decides what happens is you.

All guns must be checked in and approved by the organisers before or during the briefing.

Gun safety

A starter gun is a weapon, even though it does not fire bullets, it does fire blanks which contains gunpowder and can be really dangerous in certain situations. Starter guns make a LOT of noise. That noise is not good for your ears.

We will have a gun workshop covering how to handle, load, unload and fire a gun on Thursday. We want everyone to know the noise the guns make and how they behave.

Everyone who wants to, gets to fire a gun during this workshop. Everyone who plays a Warder, or is likely to use guns during this larp, MUST be able to handle guns. If you haven’t handled or fired a gun during this workshop, you are NOT allowed to fire a gun during the game.

Everyone who plans to use a weapon on this larp should know how their particular weapon work and know it well before the larp starts. The gun workshop should not be the moment you take your weapon out of the box and fire it for the first time. You should at a minimum know how to load your weapon, cock, decock and secure it, know how to operate the safety switch properly, and how to clear a misfire. Please check your countries gun laws before handling, storing and firing.

Keep in mind that keeping, transporting and using starter guns are restricted by Norwegian Law. You will be held accountable as if it is a real gun. The local police is informed about what we are doing so you can safely use your guns during play in the play area at other players.

However, you will under NO CIRCUMSTANCE draw, point, or fire weapons at hikers, animals or other bystanders that might come by. This might result in a gun charge! Generally speaking, if hikers appear, try not to display your guns. If you are being observed by any bystanders, do not start any firefights!

If you do not know another players weapon and you are not knowledgeable about the make and model, treat the weapon as if it is a live weapon, and do not pick it up and use it.

You are NOT allowed to

…. fire a gun inside buildings or tents. No exceptions. This is both unpleasant and dangerous.

…. fire within the safety distance of at least 2 meters away. Nobody should be closer to your gun than you are when you fire. Flames and hot gases might be discharged from the sides of the weapon, so make sure that nobody is next to you.

…. start a fist fight with someone who has drawn a gun at you. No exceptions.

…. approach someone who has drawn gun at you in order to come inside the safety distance and keep them from firing. If possible, increase the distance!

…. draw your gun during a fistfight. No exceptions.

…. have more than 5 bullets in the gun (revolvers), so you keep the chamber under the hammer empty, or for pistols, don’t have a bullet in the chamber. This way, it won’t misfire if you drop the gun.

…. draw, point, or fire weapons at hikers, animals or other bystanders. No exceptions.

These rules ALWAYS trump any play concerns

Riveting LARP

… is a dynamic duo of LARP organisers based in the wilds of Trondheim, Norway.

We share years of experience with LARP, tabletop and online roleplaying games (RPGs), and storytelling between us. With a love of the dramatic and an equal delight in the low-key complex interpersonal dynamics, we hope to deliver LARPs that are interesting, fun and inclusive!

As part of the organiser group A Mighty Fine Hat (AMFH) we had a successful run of Windfall – a Firefly LARP September 2018. Since then we have moved on to other projects.

HUSH! will be our first event organised as Riveting LARP, but we have several other projects lined up as well. So stay tuned!

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Email us at rivetinglarp@gmail.com
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